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The interactions between gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) and proteins have been extensively investigated. Nevertheless, the structure-activity relationship between gold nanoclusters and proteins in terms of ligand isomerization remained unclear. Here, interactions between Au 25 NCs modified with para-, inter- and ortho-mercaptobenzoic acid (p/m/o-MBA-Au 25 NCs) and human serum albumin (HSA) were analyzed. The results of the multispectral approach showed that all three gold nanoclusters bound to the site I in dynamic modes to increase the stability of HSA. There were significant differences in the binding intensity, thermodynamic parameters, main driving forces, and binding ratios between these three gold nanoclusters and HSA, which might be related to the existence forms of the three ligands on the surface of AuNCs. Due to the different polarities of AuNCs themselves, the impact of three AuNCs on the microenvironment of amino acid residues in HSA was also different. It could be seen that ligand isomerization significantly affected the interactions between gold nanoclusters and proteins. This work will provide theoretical guidance for ligand selection and biological applications of metal nanoclusters., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a critical process implicated in the pathogenesis of retinal fibrosis and the exacerbation of diabetic retinopathy (DR) within retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells. Apigenin (AP), a potential dietary supplement for managing diabetes and its associated complications, has demonstrated inhibitory effects on EMT in various diseases. However, the specific impact and underlying mechanisms of AP on EMT in RPE cells remain poorly understood. In this study, we have successfully validated the inhibitory effects of AP on high glucose-induced EMT in ARPE-19 cells and diabetic db/db mice. Notably, our findings have identified CBP/p300 as a potential therapeutic target for EMT in RPE cells and have further substantiated that AP effectively downregulates the expression of EMT-related genes by attenuating the activity of CBP/p300, consequently reducing histone acetylation alterations within the promoter region of these genes. Taken together, our results provide novel evidence supporting the inhibitory effect of AP on EMT in RPE cells, and highlight the potential of specifically targeting CBP/p300 as a strategy for inhibiting retinal fibrosis in the context of DR., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Seven undescribed polyoxygenated ursane-type triterpenoids (vitnegundins A-G), three undescribed triterpenoid saponins (vitnegundins H-J), and 17 known ones were isolated from an EtOH extract of the aerial parts of Vitex negundo L. The structures of the undescribed compounds were established by extensive spectroscopic analysis. The absolute configurations of vitnegundins A, B, and E were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. Vitnegundins B-D are pentacyclic triterpenoids possessing rare cis-fused C/D rings and vitnegundins C-H represent undescribed ursane-type triterpenoids with 12,19-epoxy moiety. In the biological activity assay, vitnegundin A, vitnegundin E, and swinhoeic acid displayed inhibitory effects against LPS-induced NO release in BV-2 microglial cells, with IC 50 values of 11.8, 44.2, and 19.6 μM, respectively., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a novel organic pollutant, has been shown to be toxic, persistent, bioaccumulative, long-range transportable, and globally prevalent. This article is based on surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy analysis technology. The monolayer of SiO 2 was prepared by chemical reduction etching self-assembly method and silver dendrites were grown on it, thus forming the SERS substrate with silver dendrite Metasurface structure with Raman detection enhancement factor up to 2.32 × 10 5 . The prepared silver dendrite Metasurface SERS substrate was applied to the qualitative and quantitative detection of PFOA, with a quantitative detection limit of 15.89 ppb. The results of this paper provide a new, simple, and quick method for the detection of PFOA in the environment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Haiying Song reports financial support was provided by National Natural Science Foundation of China., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Five undescribed eudesmane methyl esters (1-5), three undescribed eudesmane-12,6-olides (6-8), and 21 known analogues (9-29) were isolated from the aerial part of Artemisia princeps Pamp. Their structures were established by detailed analysis of the NMR and HRESIMS data. The absolute configurations of 1-8 were determined based on single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis and ECD calculations. Moreover, the inhibitory effects on LPS-induced NO production in BV-2 microglial cells of all the isolated compounds were assessed. Except for compounds 2, 4, 10, and 11, the others showed significant inhibitory activities, with IC 50 values of 0.73-18.66 μM, wherein the potential structure-activity relationship was also discussed., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Three previously undescribed compounds including a polyketide (1) and two lactams (2 and 3) were obtained from Tuber indicum. The structures of new findings were elucidated by HRESIMS, NMR as well as NMR and ECD calculations. Transcriptome analysis through RNA-seq revealed that compound 2 exhibits immunosuppressive activity. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages were employed as a model to explore the effect of these compounds in immunosuppressive activity. The results showed that 2 could reduce the generation of inflammatory mediators including nitric oxide (NO), reactive oxygen species (ROS), interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Western blotting analysis demonstrated that 2 could suppressed the PI3K pathway by decreasing the levels of p-PI3K and p-Akt, while increasing the levels of p-PTEN. The anti-inflammatory activity of 2 was further confirmed using a zebrafish in vivo model., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors did not report any potential conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Regional synergy is critical to achieving High Quality Development (HQD) and reducing emissions in China. Economic growth poles (EGPS), namely Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, the Yangtze River Delta, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao, and Cheng-Yu, are typical examples of regional synergy in China. It is critical to explore whether the pulling power of the EGPS to other regions can accelerate China's carbon peaking. First, this study applies the Miller-Round model to measure the spillover effects of the EGPS and selects the radiation-driven areas. Second, based on the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis, a panel smoothing transformation model is applied to explore the relationship between regional HQD and carbon emissions. Finally, under different scenarios, the inter-regional spillover effect is used to explore the path to achieving the carbon emissions peak. The results show an inverted U-shaped relationship between carbon emissions and HQD. Additionally, with the spillover pull of the EGPS, the peak carbon emission time of all provinces is earlier by 1-6 years in different scenarios, and it can promote Ningxia, Qinghai, Gansu, Guizhou to achieve a carbon peak by 2030. However, the pulling effects of Shanxi, Shaanxi, Jilin, and Guangxi require further improvement. Therefore, the policy implications of increasing inter-regional production efficiency, improving innovation levels, and using renewable energy are proposed to improve the level of HQD, thus achieving a carbon peak. Moreover, improving the industrial linkage between the EGPS and other regions would also be effective. The industrial structure promotes the cultivation of the EGPS in Cheng-Yu and strengthens regional integration in the western region., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Three new phenolic glycosides (1-3) and a new lignan glycoside (4), together with five known compounds (5-9) were isolated from the ethanol extract of the aerial part of Gaultheria leucocarpa var. yunnanensis (Franch.) T.Z.Hsu & R.C.Fang. Their structures were determined on the basis of spectroscopic techniques, experimental and calculated ECD spectra, acid hydrolysis, and enzymatic hydrolysis experiments. All the isolates were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. Compounds 7 and 8 exhibited inhibitory effects against the LPS-induced production of NO with IC 50 of 63.71 and 10.66 μM, respectively, compared to L-NMMA having an IC 50 of 6.95 μM. Besides, compound 7 also represented significant DPPH radical scavenging activity with EC 50 of 18.75 μM, comparable with vitamin C (EC 50  = 15.77 μM)., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: We aimed to investigate the efficacy of locoregional radiotherapy (LRRT) in patients with de novo metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (dmNPC) receiving chemotherapy combined with anti-programmed cell death receptor-1 monoclonal antibodies (anti-PD-1 mAbs) as first-line treatment and identify optimal candidates for LRRT., Materials and Methods: We enrolled patients with dmNPC receiving platinum-based palliative chemotherapy and anti-PD-1 mAbs followed or not followed by LRRT from four centers. The endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), and overall survival (OS). We used the inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) to balance the baseline characteristics of the LRRT and non-LRRT groups to minimize selection bias before comparative analyses. Multivariate analyses were carried out using the Cox proportional hazards model., Results: We included 163 patients with dmNPC (median follow-up: 22 months). The median PFS was 20 months, and the ORR was 92.0%; the median OS was not achieved. After IPTW adjustments, patients who received LRRT had a significant survival benefit over those not receiving LRRT (median PFS: 28 versus 15 months, P < 0.001). The Epstein-Barr virus DNA (EBV DNA) level after four to six cycles of anti-PD-1 mAbs [weighted hazard ratio (HR): 2.19, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.22-3.92, P = 0.008] and LRRT (weighted HR: 0.58, 95% CI 0.34-0.99, P = 0.04) were independent prognostic factors. Patients with undetectable EBV DNA levels after four to six cycles of anti-PD-1 mAbs (early EBV DNA clearance) benefitted from LRRT (HR: 0.41, 95% CI 0.22-0.79, P = 0.008), whereas those with detectable levels did not (HR: 1.30, 95% CI 0.59-2.87, P = 0.51)., Conclusions: Palliative chemotherapy combined with anti-PD-1 mAbs followed by LRRT was associated with improved PFS in patients with dmNPC, especially for patients with early EBV DNA clearance., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Silver nanoclusters (AgNCs) have been widely applied in the field of biology, drug therapy and cell imaging in the last decade. In order to study the biosafety of AgNCs, GSH-AgNCs and DHLA-AgNCs were synthesized using glutathione (GSH) and dihydrolipoic acid (DHLA) as ligands, and their interactions with calf thymus DNA (ctDNA) from abstraction to visualization were studied. The results of spectroscopy, viscometry and molecular docking demonstrated that GSH-AgNCs mainly bound to ctDNA in a groove mode, while DHLA-AgNCs were both groove and intercalation binding. Fluorescence experiments suggested that the quenching mechanism of both AgNCs to the emission of ctDNA-probe were both in static mode, and thermodynamic parameters demonstrated that the main forces between GSH-AgNCs and ctDNA were hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces, while hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic forces contributed to the binding of DHLA-AgNCs to ctDNA. The binding strength demonstrated that DHLA-AgNCs bound to ctDNA more strongly than that of GSH-AgNCs. The results of circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy reflected small effects of both AgNCs on the structure of ctDNA. This study will support the theoretical foundation for the biosafety of AgNCs and have a guiding significance for the preparation and application of AgNCs., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest There are no conflicts to declare., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Six new compounds, including three lignans (1a, 1b, and 2), two abietane-type diterpenoids (3 and 4), and a triterpenoid (5), together with 13 known compounds (6a, 6b, and 7-17) were isolated from the aerial parts of Gaultheria leucocarpa var. yunnanensis. Their structures were elucidated by analysis of spectroscopic data involving NMR, IR, UV, and HRESIMS. The absolute configurations of lignans were confirmed by experimental and calculated ECD spectra. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of the isolates were evaluated. Compounds 12, 13, and 15 showed inhibitory effects against the LPS-induced production of NO in BV-2 microglial cells with the IC 50 values of 30.50, 23.26, and 13.02 μM, respectively. In addition, compounds 2 and 7 performed moderate DPPH radical scavenging activities., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no competing financial interest., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Seven undescribed abietane-type diterpenoids, gauleucins A-G, and 11 known ones were isolated from an EtOH extract of the aerial parts of Gaultheria leucocarpa var. yunnanensis. These isolates could be classified into four subtypes: abietanes, 16-nor-abietanes, 16,18-di-nor-abietanes, and 3,4-seco-16-nor-abietane. Their structures were established by extensive spectroscopic analysis, and the absolute configurations of an undescribed and two known diterpenoids were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. Four compounds showed moderate inhibitory effects against the LPS-induced production of nitric oxide in BV-2 microglial cells. In an α-glucosidase inhibitory assay, gauleucin E and margoclin displayed inhibitory activities with IC 50 values of 319.3 and 327.9 μM, respectively, while the IC 50 value of the positive control (acarbose) was 387.8 μM., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

3-Fluorooxindole has been shown to be a biologically active structural unit, novel derivative containing 3-fluorooxindole unit has been successfully constructed using 3-fluorooxindole as a substrate in previous work. Here, the interactions between novel 3-fluorooxindole derivatives and ctDNA were explored through molecular docking, multi-spectral and NMR methods, and the dependence of the binding mechanism on the structure was revealed by combined physical chemistry and organic chemistry. Firstly, molecular docking indicated that the planarity of the molecule enhances the binding strength to ctDNA. UV absorption result showed a weak binding effect. Fluorescence spectroscopy suggested the binding mechanism of 3-fluorooxindoles and ctDNA via groove binding. Moreover, the binding mechanism of 3-fluorooxindoles to ctDNA was further confirmed by 1 H NMR spectroscopy, viscometry, and CD spectroscopy as groove binding. FT-IR spectroscopy reflected a more obvious disturbance of the phosphate group in the groove region of ctDNA. Electrochemistry was also used to probe the binding strength of 3-fluorooxindoles to ctDNA, and it showed a weak binding strength. From the above study, we concluded that 3-fluorooxindoles bind mainly in the groove region of ctDNA with weak binding strength. This study provides an idea for the activity screening aspect of 3-fluorooxindole derivatives from molecular planarity consideration and relevant information on biophysical and bioorganic aspects for drug development., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disease that leads to a high risk for bone fractures. Morinda officinalis How. has been used as osteoporosis treatment in China. However, its mechanism of action as an anti-osteoporotic herb remains unknown., Methods: A network pharmacology approach was applied to explore the potential mechanisms of action of M. officinalis in osteoporosis treatment. The active compounds of M. officinalis and their potential osteoporosis-related targets were retrieved from TCMSP, TCMID, SwissTargetPrediction, DrugBank, DisGeNET, GeneCards, OMIM, and TTD databases. A protein-protein interaction network was built to analyze the target interactions. The Metascape database was used to carry out GO enrichment analysis and KEGG pathway analysis. Moreover, interactions between active compounds and potential targets were investigated through molecular docking., Results: A total of 17 active compounds and 93 anti-osteoporosis targets of M. officinalis were selected for analysis. The GO enrichment analysis results indicated that the anti-osteoporosis targets of M. officinalis mainly play a role in the response to steroid hormone. The KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that M. officinalis prevents osteoporosis through the ovarian steroidogenesis signaling pathway. Moreover, the molecular docking results indicated that bioactive compounds (morindon, ohioensin A, and physcion) demonstrated a good binding ability with IGF1R, INSR, ESR1, and MMP9., Conclusion: M. officinalis contains potential anti-osteoporotic active compounds. These compounds function by regulating the proteins implicated in ovarian steroidogenesis-related pathways that are crucial in estrogen biosynthesis. Our study provides new insights into the development of a natural therapy for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Thrombotic events act as a critical factor that interferes with Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs), and antithrombotic herbal medicine is a long-standing controversial issue. Although a dispute is involved in their clinical application, all parties unanimously agree that herbal products have been widely used in folk medicine, and their interactions with conventional drugs are of high concern. This study aims to investigate how antithrombotic herbal medicines interact with Western cardiovascular drugs on the molecular level by taking an example of the most frequently used herbal pair, Danshen-Chuanxiong (DS-CX), and to discover more scientific evidence on their potential herb-drug interactions. Network pharmacology (NP), as an analytical approach of a complex system, is used to visualize and compare target profiles of DS-CX and Western cardiovascular drugs, which can be applied to predict common herb-drug targets and to construct a solid context for discussing herb-drug interactions. These interactions are further validated by in vitro assays, while in vivo zebrafish model employed for evaluating an overall pharmacological efficacy of herbal pairs in specific combination ratios. The study finds that DS could react directly to the Western cardiovascular drug targets relevant to antithrombotic pathways (i.e., thrombin, coagulation factor Xa and cyclooxygenase-1), whereas CX could not react directly and can synergistically affect antithrombotic effects with DS in specific combination ratios. Moreover, it is indicated that DS-CX may generate wide biological functions by a complicated mechanism of "neuro-immune-metabolism/endocrine" (NIM), which can further cause multiple direct and indirect interactions with Western cardiovascular drugs. From the clinical perspective, herb-drug interactions should be given high attention, especially when multiple herbs are used simultaneously., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Chitinases play an important role in the process of chitin bioavailability. In this study, we cloned a new chitinase gene and characterized its recombinant protein. The new 1251 bp gene of chitinase (ChiT-7) was cloned from the metagenome of the mangrove tidal flat soil in the city of Zhangzhou in Fujian Province (China) by genome walking. The gene encoded a mature protein with 381 amino acids, which manifested certain sequence similarity (59% identity) to characterized GH18 chitinases. The mature protein of ChiT-7 was successfully expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3). After purification, the specific activity of the recombinant enzyme was 0.63 U/mg at the optimal pH of 6.0 and the optimal temperature of 45 °C. The rChiT-7 was active over a wide pH range, and the residual enzyme activity reached 80% or higher at 30 °C-50 °C. rChiT-7 hydrolyzed colloidal chitin with (GlcNAc) 2 and GlcNAc as the main final products. Structural analysis of ChiT-7 indicated that ChiT-7 could be a processive chitinase. rChiT-7 manifested characteristics analogous to those of fungi and actinomycetes and exhibited sequence homology., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Nitrogen and sulfur co-doped carbon dots (N,S-CDs) have been widely studied with high quantum yield (QY). The experimental conditions of three different N,S-CDs were optimized. Emission peak position of three different N,S-CDs shown almost remains unchanged or obvious excitation-dependent PL properties, that was likely owed to size distribution. In order to discuss the N,S-CDs stability of photoluminescence property in environment, various experiments such as the photostability, different pH, ionic strengths and temperature were designed. To sum up, three different N,S-CDs exhibited discrepancy property. Molecular interaction of three different N,S-CDs were produced via vary carbon source with human serum albumins have been investigate by various methods. The quenching mechanism, thermodynamic and kinetic parameters, binding sites, electrochemical behavior of three different N,S-CDs with human serum albumins have some different, but conformational change of three different N,S-CDs with human serum albumins alike. The molecular docking had successful applied to study the N,S-CDs interaction with HSA. Different N,S-CDs possessed various characteristic that will have different quenching mechanism when they interaction with human serum albumin, study the mechanism of action at molecular level will help people to choose suitable CDs to apply in nanomedical., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest There are no conflicts to declare., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Phospholipid fatty acids play the crucial role in biophysical properties and the function of cellular membranes. In the present study, an accurate and sensitive method was developed to quantify phospholipid fatty acids in biological samples by using chemical isotope labeling coupled with atmospheric pressure gas chromatography quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (APGC/Q-TOF MS). APGC, a soft ionization source, was operated under proton-transfer condition by introducing methanol into the ionization source as a modifier, which provided high quantifiable molecular ion peaks to substantially enhance the sensitivity. Fatty acid standards were methylated with methanol-d 4 to yield FAMEs-d 3 that were used as one-to-one internal standards to ensure accurate quantification. Thirty fatty acids in phospholipids were accurately quantified in wide linear range with limit of quantification ranging from 84.6 to 113.2 pg/mL. The newly developed method was successfully applied to quantify phospholipid fatty acids in brain and liver tissues from both fat-1 and WT mice. This method might be expanded to quantify free fatty acids or other conjugated fatty acids in biological samples or other matrices., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (HFSRT) is a common salvage treatment for recurrent malignant glioma (MG). However, it remains controversial whether the combination of HFSRT and chemotherapy could improve survival for patients with recurrent MG compared to HFSRT alone. The present systematic review and meta-analysis aims to investigate this question, and tries to determine to what extent the addition of chemotherapy to HFSRT affects survival. A systematic review was performed to analyse the survival for patients treated with HFSRT combined with chemotherapy or not. Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for overall survival (OS) were pooled with random effects; and standard mean difference (MD) with 95% CIs for OS were pooled using the same strategy. A total of 7 studies including 388 patients with recurrent MG were eligible for our study. The OS survival of patients receiving combination therapy ranged from 8.7 to 23 months, and the median OS of patients underwent HFSRT ranged from 3.9 to 12 months. The meta-analyses resulted in the pooled HR of 0.44 (95% CI 0.30-0.65, p < 0.0001) (Cochran Q statistic 4.70, P = 0.320, I 2  = 14.8%) and pooled standard MD of 0.80 months (95% CI 0.41-1.18, p < 0.001) (Cochran Q statistic 10.16, p = 0.71, I 2  = 50.8%). The present study suggests that HFSRT + chemotherapy confers a slight survival improvement for patients with recurrent MG as compared with sole HFSRT management. To draw a more solid conclusion, greater investigation is warranted., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A facile and green route is introduced to fabricate antimicrobial composite films in this article from xylan (XL) and hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) with citric acid (CA) and polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG-400) as crosslinker and plasticizer, respectively. XL was obtained by precipitating wood hydrolysate (WH) produced during pulping process with ethanol. Antimicrobial activity was constructed by incorporating β-cyclodextrin/sodium benzoate (β-CD/NaBz) complex into the composite matrix. The interactions, including hydrogen bonds and covalent bonds, between the polymers were confirmed by FT-IR spectroscopy. Morphology and crystallinity of composite films at different curing time were investigated by AFM and XRD, respectively. The composite film cured for 40 min exhibits tensile strength up to 62.3 MPa and oxygen permeability (OP) as low as 1.0 cm 3 ·μm m -2 ·d -1 ·kPa -1 . Finally, the antimicrobial test against Staphylococcus aureus reveals superior antimicrobial activity of composite films with complex. In conclusion, the XL/HEC antimicrobial film has great potential in the field of sustainable food packing materials., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: The current treatment for patients with relapsed malignant glioma (MG) remains unsatisfactory. Use of hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (HFSRT) for recurrent MG has shown some encouraging results and may be a viable option., Methods: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of articles that investigated the use of HFSRT for recurrent MG. Relevant studies were obtained through searching PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. Data about treatment regimens, median overall survival, and radiation necrosis (RN), as well as other major neurologic complications were extracted. We performed a descriptive analysis of the median overall survival and meta-analysis of the reported rates of RN and other major neurologic complications (MNCs)., Results: A total of 26 studies were included in our study, comprising 861 patients. Median overall survival ranged from 8.6 to 18 months. A total of 19 studies were included to perform a meta-analysis of the RN rate and the pooled RN rate was 5% (3%-7%). The pooled rate of other MNCs was 2% (1%-4%), calculated from 20 studies., Conclusions: The present evidence suggests that HFSRT is an efficacious and safe treatment approach to treat patients with recurrent MG. However, the retrospective and observational nature of the studies included in our systematic review and meta-analysis restricted formation of more solid conclusions. Thus, well-designed prospective controlled trials are warranted to further define the therapeutic role of HFSRT for recurrent MG., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The study investigated whether different dietary energy and protein sources affect laying performance, antioxidant status, fresh yolk fatty acid profile and quality of salted yolks in laying ducks. In all, 360 19-week-old Longyan ducks were randomly assigned to four diets in a factorial arrangement (2×2). The four diets consisted of two energy sources, corn (CO) or sorghum (SO) and two protein sources, soybean meal (SM) and rapeseed meal with corn distillers dried grains with solubles (RMD), and each treatment contained six replicates of 15 birds each. The experimental diets were isocaloric (metabolizable energy, 10.84 MJ/kg) and isonitrogenous (CP, 17%). The results showed that egg production, average egg weight, egg mass and feed conversion ratio were not affected by diets (P>0.05). Plasma contents of reduced glutathione (GSH), GSH/oxidized glutathione and total antioxidant capacity were lower (P<0.05) in ducks fed the RMD diets compared with those fed SM diets with a substantial increase (P=0.006) in plasma content of malondialdehyde (MDA). Egg yolks from ducks fed SO diets had higher proportions of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and lower saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids compared with CO diets (P<0.001). Similarly, ducks fed RMD diets had a higher content of PUFA and n-6/n-3 ratio in fresh yolks (P<0.001), and increased salted yolk MDA, carbonylated proteins content and incidence of hard salted yolks (P<0.05) compared with SM diets. Scanning electron microscopy showed that salted yolks contained rougher polyhedral granules and fewer fat droplets, and were surrounded with a layer of bunchy fibers in ducks fed SO+RMD than those fed CO+SM diet. In conclusion, the current study showed that feeding laying ducks with diets containing SO or RMD reduced antioxidant capacity and increased egg yolk concentrations of PUFA. It appeared that egg yolks from ducks fed these diets were more sensitive to lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation during salting, and reduced the quality of salted yolks.

Background: This study was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of sublobar resection for the treatment of pulmonary aspergilloma compared with lobectomy., Methods: Patients with pulmonary aspergilloma who underwent lobectomy or sublobar resection in our department between March 2007 and December 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Data were collected for patient demographic characteristics, medical history, preoperative investigations, perioperative findings, postoperative conditions, and recurrence status. Propensity-matched comparative analyses were performed to adjust for potential differences of patients' baseline characteristics between the groups., Results: A total of 96 patients underwent lobectomy, 46 patients underwent attempted sublobar resection. The median follow-up time is 53 months. No recurrence was found in either group. Three patients (3.1%) in the lobectomy group required reoperation for bleeding. The patients who underwent sublobar resection had less underlying lung disease (p = 0.031), smaller lesions (p = 0.033), and were more likely to have been treated with video-assisted thoracic surgery (p < 0.001). These differences were eliminated by propensity score matching (46 pairs were successfully matched). Comparative analyses in matched groups demonstrate that there was no marked difference in the volume and duration of chest drainage or the length of postoperative hospital stay. However, the patients with sublobar resection had shorter operation time (p = 0.004), less blood loss (p = 0.042), and less postoperative complication (p = 0.048)., Conclusions: Sublobar resection performed for small simple pulmonary aspergilloma and selected complex pulmonary aspergilloma has a low recurrence rate and confers perioperative advantages compared with lobectomy., (Copyright © 2017 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Previous studies have indicated that vitamin D receptor (VDR) TaqI, BsmI, FokI and ApaI gene polymorphisms are associated with the risk of several inflammatory diseases. However, potential association of the VDR gene polymorphisms with susceptibility to extremity chronic osteomyelitis remains unclear. The present study aimed to investigate link between VDR gene polymorphisms and the risk of extremity chronic osteomyelitis in Chinese population. A total of 233 patients with chronic osteomyelitis and 200 healthy controls were genotyped for the 4 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (TaqI, BsmI, FokI and ApaI) in VDR gene using the SNaPshot genotyping method. The frequencies of mutant allele C in rs731236 (P=0.044, OR=1.830, 95% CI 1.009 - 3.319) and rs2228570 (P=0.029, OR=1.347, 95% CI 1.031 - 1.761) were significantly higher in patients than those in healthy controls. In addition, outcomes of the logistic regression analysis adjusted by gender and age revealed that significant links were found between rs731236 (P=0.05, OR=1.887, 95% CI 1.001 - 3.558), rs2228570 (P=0.042, OR=1.594, 95% CI 1.016-2.500) and the risk of developing chronic osteomyelitis by dominant genetic model. In addition, significant association was also found between rs2228570 and the risk of developing the disease by homozygous model (P=0.034, OR=1.803, 95% CI 1.046 - 3.106). However, no significant correlations were found between BsmI (rs1544410) or ApaI (rs7975232) gene polymorphisms and the susceptibility to the disease. To our knowledge, we reported for the first time that VDR gene TaqI (rs731236) and FokI (rs2228570) polymorphisms may contribute to the increased risk of chronic osteomyelitis in Chinese population., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

With the aim of gathering temporal trends on bacterial epidemiology and resistance from multiple laboratories in China, the CHINET surveillance system was organized in 2005. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was carried out according to a unified protocol using the Kirby-Bauer method or automated systems. Results were analyzed according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) 2014 definitions. Between 2005 and 2014, the number of bacterial isolates ranged between 22,774 and 84,572 annually. Rates of extended-spectrum β-lactamase production among Escherichia coli isolates were stable, between 51.7 and 55.8%. Resistance of E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae to amikacin, ciprofloxacin, piperacillin/tazobactam and cefoperazone/sulbactam decreased with time. Carbapenem resistance among K. pneumoniae isolates increased from 2.4 to 13.4%. Resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains against all of antimicrobial agents tested including imipenem and meropenem decreased with time. On the contrary, resistance of Acinetobacter baumannii strains to carbapenems increased from 31 to 66.7%. A marked decrease of methicillin resistance from 69% in 2005 to 44.6% in 2014 was observed for Staphylococcus aureus. Carbapenem resistance rates in K. pneumoniae and A. baumannii in China are high. Our results indicate the importance of bacterial surveillance studies., (Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Danshen is one of the most frequently used traditional Chinese herbs owing to its remarkable and reliable therapeutic effects. Phenolic acids and diterpenoids have proved to be the bioactive substance groups. In order to fully profile its chemical compositions and explore new potential bioactive compounds, a comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography system coupled to DAD detector and hybrid linear ion trap (LTQ) Orbitrap mass spectrometry (LC × LC-DAD-ESI/HRMS/MS(n)) was set up in this study based on the column combination of Hypersil gold CN (150 mm × 1 mm, 3 μm) and Accucore C18 (50 mm × 4.6 mm, 2.6 μm). Using the optimal segment gradient program, phenolic acids and diterpenoids were separated into two independent groups and a total of 328 peaks were successfully detected on the contour plot of Danshen. By means of the accurate mass and reliable MS(n) data, 102 compounds were identified or tentatively identified and 7 of them were discovered from Danshen for the first time. Moreover, the LC × LC-DAD system was validated for the quantitative analysis of 14 bioactive analytes using the contour plot, exhibiting satisfactory linearity (r ≥ 0.9976) and high precision for both peak locating (≤ 1.07%) and peak volume calculating (0.34%-4.11%). The established method could afford powerful separation capability, reliable identification data and accurate quantitative results, which is very suitable for analysis of complex herbal samples., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A novel bispyrazole derivative 2,6-bis(5-(4-methylphenyl)-1-H-pyrazol-3-yl)pyridine was synthesized and its structure was confirmed by (1)H NMR, FTIR, MS techniques and elemental analysis. The binding interactions of BMPP with Cd(2+), Co(2+), Pb(2+) and Cu(2+) ions were investigated in MeOH-H2O solution by fluorescence quenching technique at two temperatures (25 and 35°C). Their quenching constants KSV, binding constants K, binding sites n and thermodynamic parameters (ΔH, ΔG and ΔS) were determined. The results indicated that the metal ions quenched the intrinsic fluorescence of the bispyrazole by forming the bispyrazole-metal complexes and their quenching process was a static quenching mechanism. In addition, the process of interaction was spontaneous and mainly ΔS-driven., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

TNF-α, one of the most potent pro-inflammatory cytokines, plays a critical role in inhibition of osteoblast differentiation and bone regeneration in persistent inflammatory microenvironment. To explore the mechanism, quantitative proteomics based on iTRAQ and MRM was employed. The results showed 6 proteins involved in BMP-2 induced osteoblast differentiation inhibition by TNF-α: Periostin, Protein S100-A4, ATPase inhibitor, Cytochrome b5, SERCA3, and ELP2. The altered proteins were involved in molecular transport, tissue development, energy metabolism, and inflammation. One specific protein, ELP2 (STAT3-interacting protein 1, StIP1) up-regulated in the inhibition of osteoblast differentiation by TNF-α was verified to play a critical role in STAT3 pathway. Overexpression or knockdown of ELP2 in C2C12 and MC3T3-E1 cells affected osteoblast differentiation inhibition induced by TNF-α. These results highlight the function of ELP2 in inflammatory microenvironment, ELP2 up-regulation and STAT3 pathway activation may down-regulate BMPR2, then BMP-2 was blocked and osteoblast differentiation inhibited. The protein-expression profile revealed here should offer at least partly new clues to understand the mechanism of osteoblast differentiation inhibition by inflammation., Biological Significance: Persistent inflammation is always associated with osteogenesis and affects this balance to reduce bone mass including traumatic open bone fracture, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), but the cellular mechanisms are not fully elucidated. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) is one of the most potent pro-inflammatory cytokines and is known to be a catabolic factor in these inflammatory reaction of diseases. We show for the first time using proteomics methods that in inflammatory microenvironment, osteoblast differentiation will be inhibited by TNF-α induced ELP2 up-regulation and STAT3 pathway activation. Our results are significant since they point to targeting ELP2 activity as a novel therapeutic option to limit the inhibition of osteoblast differentiation by inflammatory microenvironment., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Naringenin (Nar) is a flavanone compound found in grapefruits that is endowed with diverse pharmacological and biological activities. Here, the interaction between Nar and human serum albumin (HSA) was investigated via various methods, including fluorescence spectroscopy, electrochemical methods and molecular docking. The Stern-Volmer quenching constants inversely correlated with temperature, demonstrating that the fluorescence quenching about HSA-Nar system is initiated by the formation of a compound, which has confirmed by electrochemical measurements. Three-dimensional fluorescence demonstrated that Nar induces the slight unfolding of the polypeptides of HSA. The calculated thermodynamic parameters suggesting that the binding of Nar to HSA is spontaneous, and the mainly force is electrostatic interactions. In addition, site marker competitive experiments indicated that Nar binds to HSA both on site I (subdomain IIA) and site II (subdomain IIIA), with higher affinity to the latter one, consistence with molecular docking. Furthermore, the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) experiment showed the binding distance (r) is 2.65 nm. And the effects of metal ions on the HSA-Nar system are also discussed., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Six new bis-β-diketones (RCOCH2CO-C7H7N-COCH2COR) were synthesized from 3,5-diacetyl-2,6-dimethylpyridine via Claisen condensation with the corresponding esters, and then reacted with boron trifluoride etherate to afford difluoroboron bis-β-diketonate derivatives. Their spectroscopic properties were investigated by UV-vis, FTIR, (1)H NMR and fluorescence spectroscopic techniques. It was found that these boron complexes exhibited violet or blue fluorescence emission at 422-445nm and possessed high extinction coefficients. The results indicate that the extending π-conjugation can increase the fluorescence intensity and quantum yield for these boron complexes. Especially, the compound 2b displayed the stronger fluorescence intensity and the highest fluorescence quantum yield (Φu=0.94) in these boron compounds. However, compounds 2c and 2d had the lower fluorescence intensity and quantum yield as a result of the heavy atom effect of the chlorine atom in the molecules., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In this study, we used morin as a reducing agent for the synthesis of stable and nearly spherical Au nanoparticles (M-AuNPs), which were characterized by UV-vis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The binding characteristics and molecular mechanism of the interaction between the M-AuNPs and bovine serum albumin (BSA) were explored by UV-vis absorbance, fluorescence spectroscopy, and circular dichroism spectra (CD). The results showed that the quenching mechanisms were based on static quenching. The thermodynamic parameters ΔG, ΔH and ΔS, suggested that the reaction was spontaneous, and mainly driven by electrostatic interactions. Site marker competitive displacement experiments indicated that MAuNPs bound with high affinity to site I (subdomain IIA) of BSA. Synchronous fluorescence and CD spectra demonstrated that BSA conformation was slightly altered in the presence of M-AuNPs. In addition, the effect of pH, temperature, morin quantity, and reaction time were investigated., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In order to enhance its interaction efficiency with biomacromolecules for the usage as a therapeutic agent, we have conjugated morin, an antioxidant activity and anti-tumor drug, with citrate-coated Au nanoparticles (M-C-AuNPs). M-C-AuNPs were prepared by reducing chloroauric acid using trisodium citrate in the boiling condition, and the resulted M-C-AuNPs were characterized by UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and FTIR analysis. In this article, UV-vis absorption spectroscopy in combination with fluorescence spectroscopy, and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy were employed to investigate the interactions between M-C-AuNPs and bovine serum albumin (BSA), C-AuNPs and BSA in a phosphate buffer at pH 7.4. By comparing the quenching constant KSV, effective quenching constant Ka, binding constant Kb and the number of binding sites n, it is clearly suggested that M-C-AuNPs could enhance the binding force of morin with BSA, which would pave the way for the design of nanotherapeutic agents with improved functionality., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Study Objective: To compare intra-articular lidocaine (IAL) with intravenous analgesia and sedation (IVAS) for manual closed reduction of acute anterior shoulder dislocation., Design: Meta-analysis., Setting: Metropolitan medical university., Measurements: A literature search was conducted of PubMed, Ovid and Cochrane Library, to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published from January 1, 1990 to September 1, 2012, that compared IAL with IVAS for manual closed reduction of acute anterior shoulder dislocation. Effective data were pooled using fixed-effects or random-effects models with mean differences (MDs) and risk ratios (RRs) for continuous and dichotomous variables, respectively., Main Results: Nine RCTs comprising 438 patients were analyzed. Statistical analyses showed that IAL was superior to IVAS with respect to lower complication risk (P < 0.00001) and shorter mean hospital length of stay (P = 0.03). No significant differences were noted in success of joint reduction (P = 0.16), patient satisfaction (P = 0.12), or postreduction pain relief (P = 0.76). However, IAL required more time than IVAS from injection to reduction (P < 0.00001). Subgroup analyses showed that IVAS was associated with higher risks of respiratory depression (P < 0.0001), vomiting (P = 0.04), and thrombophlebitis (P = 0.008), but no statistical differences were identified in nausea (P = 0.06), hypotension (P = 0.10), drowsiness (P = 0.45), or headache (P = 0.29)., Conclusions: Intra-articular lidocaine injection may be safer than IVAS because there are fewer risks of postoperative complications with IAL. Both techniques are similarly effective for manual closed reduction of acute anterior shoulder dislocation., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In terms of understanding Fe mobilization from aerosol particles in East China, the PM2.5 particles were collected in spring at Shanghai. Combined with the backtrajectory analysis, the PM2.5/PM10 and Ca/Al ratios, a serious dust-storm episode (DSE) during the sampling was identified. The single-particle analysis showed that the major iron-bearing class is the aluminosilicate dust during DSE, while the Fe-bearing aerosols are dominated by coal fly ash, followed by a minority of iron oxides during the non-dust storm days (NDS). Chemical analyses of samples showed that the fractional Fe solubility (%FeS) is much higher during NDS than that during DSE, and a strong inverse relationship of R(2)=0.967 between %FeS and total atmospheric iron loading were found, suggested that total Fe (FeT) is not controlling soluble Fe (FeS) during the sampling. Furthermore, no relationship between FeS and any of acidic species was established, suggesting that acidic process on aerosol surfaces are not involved in the trend of iron solubility. It was thus proposed that the source-dependent composition of aerosol particles is a primary determinant for %FeS. Specially, the Al/Fe ratio is poorly correlated (R(2)=0.113) with %FeS, while the apparent relationship between %FeS and the calculated KBB(+)/Fe ratio (R(2)=0.888) and the V/Fe ratio (R(2)=0.736) were observed, reflecting that %FeS could be controlled by both biomass burning and oil ash from ship emission, rather than mineral particles and coal fly ash, although the latter two are the main contributors to the atmospheric Fe loading during the sampling. Such information can be useful improving our understanding on iron solubility on East China, which may further correlate with iron bioavailability to the ocean, as well as human health effects associated with exposure to fine Fe-rich particles in densely populated metropolis in China., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This paper exploring the site-selective binding of jatrorrhizine to human serum albumin (HSA) under physiological conditions (pH=7.4). The investigation was carried out using fluorescence spectroscopy, UV-vis spectroscopy, and molecular modeling. The results of fluorescence quenching and UV-vis absorption spectra experiments indicated the formation of the complex of HSA-jatrorrhizine. Binding parameters calculating from Stern-Volmer method and Scatchard method were calculated at 298, 304 and 310 K, with the corresponding thermodynamic parameters ΔG, ΔH and ΔS as well. Binding parameters calculating from Stern-Volmer method and Scatchard method showed that jatrorrhizine bind to HSA with the binding affinities of the order 10(4) L mol(-1). The thermodynamic parameters studies revealed that the binding was characterized by negative enthalpy and positive entropy changes and the electrostatic interactions play a major role for jatrorrhizine-HSA association. Site marker competitive displacement experiments and molecular modeling calculation demonstrating that jatrorrhizine is mainly located within the hydrophobic pocket of the subdomain IIIA of HSA. Furthermore, the synchronous fluorescence spectra suggested that the association between jatrorrhizine and HSA changed molecular conformation of HSA., (Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Unlike previous research on patient controlled analgesia, this study explores patient demand behavior over time. We apply clustering methods to disclose demand patterns among patients over the first 24h of analgesic medication after surgery. We consider demographic, biomedical, and surgery-related data in statistical analyses to determine predictors for patient demand behavior, and use stepwise regression and Bayes risk analysis to evaluate the influence of demand pattern on analgesic requirements. We identify three demand patterns from 1655 patient controlled analgesia request log files. Statistical tests show correlations of gender (p=.0022), diastolic blood pressure (p=.025), surgery type (p=.0028), and surgical duration (p<.0095) with demand patterns. Stepwise regression and Bayes risk analysis show demand pattern plays the most important role in analgesic consumption prediction (p=0.E+0). This study suggests analgesia request patterns over time exist among patients, and clustering can disclose demand behavioral patterns., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze a single institution's experience of solitary venous malformation (VM) in the midcheek region., Study Design: From 2002 to 2009, a total of 10 consecutive patients with solitary venous malformation in the midcheek region were retrospectively analyzed. Clinical records were reviewed for patient demographic data, presenting symptoms and signs, imaging modalities used, histologic and immunohistochemical results, surgical data, and clinical outcomes., Results: The sample consisted of 5 males and 5 females with a mean age of 42.8 years. The course of disease ranged from 0.5 to 144.0 months with a mean time of 64.9 months. The mean size of the masses was 1.7 × 1.5 cm (range 1.0 × 0.8 cm to 2.5 × 2.5 cm). Investigations included Doppler ultrasonography (US) and computed tomography (CT) scanning. Surgical excision using various surgical approaches was performed in all patients. Postoperative pathologic examination confirmed the diagnosis of VM. The mean follow-up period was 41.2 months (range 2 months to 94 months) with no recurrence reported., Conclusions: For solitary VM in the midcheek region, investigations, such as Doppler US or CT scanning or the use of fine-needle aspiration cytology, may aid in clinical diagnosis. The primary treatment of these lesions is surgical excision, and in our sample, the prognosis of such treatment was good with no recurrence reported., (Copyright © 2012 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze a single institution's experience in the clinical management of intraoral lymphoepithelial cyst (LEC)., Study Design: From 1993 to 2010, a total of 120 consecutive patients with intraoral LEC underwent surgery and were retrospectively investigated regarding its clinical appearance, clinical differential diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis., Results: Of the 120 patients, 37 were male and 83 female, their ages ranging from 2 to 75 years with a mean of 44.1 years. The most common locations were the tongue (50%) and floor of mouth (38.3%). The course of disease ranged from 2 months to 10 years with a mean of 8.0 months, and 75.8% of the patients had a course of disease <6 months. Routine laboratory examinations were within normal limits. All patients underwent complete surgical removal of the lesions. During the follow-up period, no lesion recurrence occurred, and the quality of life of each patient was good., Conclusions: The clinical characteristics of intraoral LEC are not specific and may be confused with other intraoral lesions. The first choice of treatment is surgical excision, which results in a good prognosis., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This study proposes a general framework for structural motif discovery. The framework is based on a modular design in which the system components can be modified or replaced independently to increase its applicability to various studies. It is a two-stage approach that first converts protein 3D structures into structural alphabet sequences, and then applies a sequence motif-finding tool to these sequences to detect conserved motifs. We named the structural motif database we built the SA-Motifbase, which provides the structural information conserved at different hierarchical levels in SCOP. For each motif, SA-Motifbase presents its 3D view; alphabet letter preference; alphabet letter frequency distribution; and the significance. SA-Motifbase is available at http://bioinfo.cis.nctu.edu.tw/samotifbase/., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Accessory parotid lesions are clinically rare and its management remains poorly understood. The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical management of accessory parotid lesions., Study Design: From April 1999 to November 2008, a retrospective analysis of 32 patients with accessory parotid lesions was performed. The preoperative examinations, surgical treatment, and prognosis were recorded and analyzed., Results: Among the 32 patients, there were 8 men and 24 women with an overall average age of 45 years. These patients always presented without obvious symptoms, and the masses were moderate to hard in hardness without tenderness, mobile, and with clear boundary. The pathologic diagnoses were 24 benign and 8 malignant lesions. Surgery and surgery plus radiotherapy were performed in the patients with benign and malignant lesions, respectively, with good prognosis., Conclusions: Accessory parotid lesions are rare, and the clinical manifestation is always the same for benign tumors. Surgical resection and surgical resection plus radiotherapy are the primary choices of treatment for benign and malignant lesions, respectively. The prognosis is always good., (Copyright © 2011 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations, especially deletions, have been suggested to play an important role in aging and degenerative diseases. In particular, the common deletion in humans and rats (4977bp and 4834bp deletion, respectively) has been shown to accumulate with age in post-mitotic tissues with high energetic demands. Among numerous deletions, the common deletion has been proposed to serve as a molecular marker for aging and play a critical role in presbyacusis. However, so far no previous publication has quantified the contribution of common deletion to the total burden of mtDNA deletions in tissues during aging process. In the present study, we established a rat model with various degrees of aging in inner ear induced by three different doses of d-galactose (d-gal) administration. Firstly, multiple mtDNA deletions in inner ear were detected by nested PCR and long range PCR. In addition to the common deletion, three novel mtDNA deletions were identified. All four deletions, located in the major arc of mtDNA, are flanked by direct repeats and involve the cytochrome c oxidase (COX) subunit III gene, encoded by mtDNA. Additionally, absolute quantitative real-time PCR assay was used to detect the level of common deletion and total deletion burden of mtDNA. The quantitative data show that the common deletion is the most frequent type of mtDNA deletions, exceeding 67.86% of the total deletion burden. Finally, increased mtDNA copy number, reduced COX activity and mosaic ultrastructural impairments in inner ear were identified in d-gal-induced aging rats. The increase of mtDNA replication may contribute to the accelerated accumulation of mtDNA deletions, which may result in impairment of mitochondrial function in inner ear. Taken together, these findings suggest that the common deletion may serve as an ideal molecular marker to assess the mtDNA damage in inner ear during aging., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze a single institution's experience in clinical diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of Castleman disease (hyaline vascular type) in the parotid and neck region., Study Design: From 2004 to 2008, a total of 10 consecutive patients with Castleman disease (hyaline vascular type) in the parotid and neck region underwent surgery were included in this retrospective study. The preoperative examinations, clinical diagnosis, surgical treatment, and prognosis were recorded and analyzed., Results: Of the 10 patients, 4 were males and 6 female; their age ranged from 13 to 54 years with a mean of 26.6 years. The lesion occurred in the parotid region in 3 patients, in the neck region in 5 patients, and in both the parotid and neck regions in 2 patients. Their course of disease ranged from 3 months to 48 months with a mean of 12.5 months; 70% of the patients (7 out of 10) had a course of disease of <12 months. The patients always had no obvious complaint, and the laboratory examinations were almost within the normal limits. Magnetic resonance imaging/angiography were valuable on clinical diagnosis and differential diagnosis. All patients underwent surgical removal of the masses completely. During the follow-up period, which ranged from 9 months to 60 months with a mean of 38.9 months, no recurrence of the lesion occurred, and the quality of life of each patient was good., Conclusions: Castleman disease (hyaline vascular type) in the parotid and neck region is rare, with clinical manifestation and physical examination the same as benign lesions. There is no specific indication in the laboratory tests and imaging examinations; however, magnetic resonance imaging/angiography has potential value on clinical diagnosis and differential diagnosis. Surgical resection is the choice of treatment with good prognosis., (Copyright 2010 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Pure enantiomers of carboxylic acids are a class of important biomolecules, chiral drugs, chiral reagents, etc. Analysis of the enantiomers usually needs expensive instrument or complex chiral receptors. However, to develop simple and reliable methods for the enantiomer analysis of acids is difficult. In this paper, chiral recognition of 2,3-dibenzoyltartaric acid and mandelic acid was first carried out by aggregation-induced emission molecules bearing optically pure aminol group, which was easily synthesized. The chiral recognition is not only seen by naked eyes but also measured by fluorophotometer. The difference of fluorescence intensity between the two enantiomers of the acids aroused by the aggregation-induced emission molecules was up to 598. The chiral recognition could be applied to quantitative analysis of enantiomer content of chiral acids. More chiral AIE amines need to be developed for enantiomer analysis of more carboxylic acids.

As a new member of the polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) family, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) (PHBVHHx) was produced by recombinant Aeromonas hydrophila 4AK4. PHBVHHx showed a rougher surface and had higher hydrophobicity than the well-studied polymers poly(L-lactic acid) (PLA) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) (PHBHHx). Human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) adhered better on PHBVHHx film than on tissue culture plates (TCPs), PLA film and PHBHHx film. The cell number on the PHBVHHx film was 115% higher than that on the TCPs, 66% higher than on the PHBHHx film and 263% higher than on the PLA film (p<0.01). PHBVHHx also supported the osteogenic differentiation of MSCs. Previous studies have shown that all PHA polymers tested were either poorer than or equal to TCPs for supporting cell growth. PHBVHHx is the only PHA polymer to significantly increase cell numbers compared with TCPs. These data demonstrate that PHBVHHx could be a promising biomaterial for bone tissue engineering.

A novel technique of covalent immobilization of indicator dyes in the preparation of fluorescence sensors is developed. Silver nanoparticles are used as bridges and carriers for anchoring indicator dyes. 3-amino-9-ethylcarbazole (AEC) was employed as an example of indicator dyes with terminal amino groups and covalently immobilized onto the outmost surface of a quartz glass slide. First, the glass slide was functionalized by (3-mercaptopropyl) trimethoxysilane (MPS) to form a thiol-terminated self-assembled monolayer, where silver nanoparticles were strongly bound to the surface through covalent bonding. Then, 16-mercaptohexadecanoic acid (MHDA) was self-assembled to bring carboxylic groups onto the surface of silver nanoparticles. A further activation by using 1-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-3-ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) and N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) converted the carboxylic groups into succinimide esters. Finally, the active succinimide esters on the surface of silver nanoparticles were reacted with AEC. Thus, AEC was covalently bound to the glass slide and an AEC-immobilized sensor was obtained. The sensor exhibited very satisfactory reproducibility and reversibility, rapid response and no dye-leaching. Rutin can quench the fluorescence intensity of the sensor and be measured by using the sensor. The linear response of the sensor to rutin covers the range from 2.0 x 10(-6) to 1.5 x 10(-4) molL(-1) with a detection limit of 8.0 x 10(-7) molL(-1). The proposed technique may be feasible to the covalent immobilization of other dyes with primary amino groups.

There is a significant demand for sensitive, inexpensive, and flexible genotyping techniques that can be accomplished with reasonable throughput. Allele-specific amplification (ASA) has the advantage of combining the amplification and discrimination steps into a single reaction. However, mismatch amplification that occurs during traditional ASA limits its application for genotyping. Here, a modified ASA termed phosphorothioate proofreading allele-specific amplification (PP-ASA) is developed, for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping analysis. Using both 3' end phosphorothioate modification of primers and DNA polymerase with proofreading activity completely eliminated mismatch amplifications, therefore enhancing discrimination between alleles for genotyping. The conditions for PP-ASA were optimized for template concentration and amplification cycle number as both were found to be critical for accurate genotyping. The utility of PP-ASA was assessed using both plasmid and genomic DNAs as templates and validated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of 60 human DNA samples for two distinct SNPs. PP-ASA represents a reliable, flexible, and inexpensive assay for SNP genotyping; it could be integrated to chip- or PCR-array-based assays to improve the throughput and reduce the cost for SNP analyses.

Tissue acidosis is an important feature of tumor. The response of adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) cells to acidic solution was studied using whole-cell patch-clamp recording in the current study. An inward, amiloride-sensitive Na(+) current was identified in cultured ACC-2 cells while not in normal human salivary gland epithelial cells. Electrophysiological and pharmacological properties of the currents suggest that heteromeric acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) containing 2a and 3 may be responsible for the proton-induced currents in the majority of ACC-2 cells. Consistent with it, analyses of RT-PCR and Western blotting demonstrated the presences of ASIC2a and 3 in ACC-2 cells. Furthermore, we observed the enhanced expression of ASIC2a and 3 in the sample of ACC tissues. These results indicate that the functional expression of ASICs is characteristic feature of ACC cells.

Fluorescence spectroscopy in combination with circular dichroism (CD) and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy were employed to investigate the binding of anti-inflammatory drug cromolyn sodium (Intal) to bovine serum albumin (BSA) under the physiological conditions with Intal concentrations of 0-6.4 x 10(-5)mol L(-1). In the mechanism discussion, it was proved that the fluorescence quenching of BSA by Intal is a result of the formation of Intal-BSA complex. Quenching constants were determined using the Stern-Volmer equation to provide a measure of the binding affinity between Intal and BSA. The thermodynamic parameters Delta G, Delta H, Delta S at different temperatures (298, 304, and 310 K) were calculated and the results indicate the electrostatic interactions play a major role in Intal-BSA association. Binding studies concerning the number of binding sites (n=1) and apparent binding constant K(b) were performed by fluorescence quenching method. Utilizing fluorescence resonant energy transfer (FRET) the distance R between the donor (BSA) and acceptor (Intal) has been obtained. Furthermore, CD and synchronous fluorescence spectrum were used to investigate the structural change of BSA molecules with addition of Intal, the results indicate that the secondary structure of BSA molecules was changed in the presence of Intal.

The interaction between 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoic acid (TMBA) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) was studied by fluorescence and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy. In the mechanism discussion, it was proved that the fluorescence quenching of BSA by TMBA is a result of the formation of TMBA-BSA complex. Quenching constants were determined using the Stern-Volmer equation to provide a measure of the binding affinity between TMBA and BSA. The thermodynamic parameters DeltaH, DeltaG, DeltaS at different temperatures were calculated, and electrostatic interactions play an important role to stabilize the complex. The distance r between donor (BSA) and acceptor (TMBA) was obtained according to fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET).

A novel optical sensor based on covalent immobilization for picric acid assay has been described. To improve the stability of the sensor, a terminal double bond was attached to the fluorescent compound, 3-amino-9-ethylcarbazole (AEC), via methacryloyl chloride. The resultant compound, 3-(N-methacryloyl) amino-9-ethylcarbazole (MAEC) was copolymerized with 2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate on surface-modified quartz glass plates by UV irradiation. The resulting optical sensor (optode membrane) was used to determine picric acid based on fluorescence quenching. It shows a linear response toward picric acid in the concentration range of 9.33 x 10(-8) to 9.33 x 10(-5) mol l(-1), with rapid response, high stability and good selectivity to picric acid.